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❧ The preface of Vdalrike Hutten / vpon the lytell booke made by Laurence Valla / agaynst the fayned and falsely forged donation or gyfte of Constantyne / vnto pope Leo the tenth of that name.
AT the last moste blessed father / your noble & comfortable promise / whiche by your cōmaū¦dement was expressed / publysshed / & set forth at the very begynnīg / whan you were newly made po¦pe: hath vanquesshed & perfitely ouercōe the opinyon of those persones / whiche dyd disswade & frayde men away from publysshyng and sendyng forth abrode of the lytell boke made by Laurence Valla / agaynst the donation and graunt of Cōstantyne / for nowe seyng that you haue ones caused that marcyall triumphe to kepe sylence / wherwith pope Iuly the seconde prouo¦ked & styred vp men to warre & batayle / and as it wer by strykīg a cymbale of peace / haue raysed vp the her∣tes & myndes of all christen people / vnto the hoope of liberte: All men do recken & suppose / that them selues may vse all thynges / which they knowe to be laufull. And I verily of my parte / albeit that I was afore {per}∣swaded & in full belefe / if it shuld fortune & chaūce you to haue this most high auctorite & gouernaunce ouer all / for asmoch as you haue alwayes / so and in suche wyse loued & exercised the studies of best letters / that your profyting and goyng forwarde in thē / may with out dout be cōpared with the doctryne of the best ler∣ned men that be in this tyme / that you wolde nat suf∣fre any of the monumētes or workes made by aūcient authors in olde tyme to perisshe / & to be vtterly lost & cast away whiles you were pope / yet natwithstāding whan I red that inscriptyon or tytle openly set forthe in Italy. Leoni decimo pontifici maximo restaura∣tori pacis / whiche is thus moche to say in englysshe.
To Leo the tenth pope / the renewer of peace: I leapte vp sodaynly / beynge wonderfully styred with a sodayne ioye / and comforted / and restored agayn to my selfe / from that passyon and vnquietnesse of my mynde / wherin I had before contynued a longe sea∣son